Correct positioning of the socket in total hip replacement arthroplasty is difficult to achieve, using currently available jigs and alignment guides. Such variables as, for example patient positioning on the operating table, anatomic issues including patient-to-patient variability, and questions of parallax, all must be considered in the surgeon's judgment at the time of the arthroplasty procedure. Any resultant inaccuracies can threaten hip stability and durability. While surgical navigation may address some of these problems, this approach is not universally available, and adds both expense and time to the procedure, which also lengthens the concomitant time a patient is subject to the risks of anesthesia. Accordingly, there remains a need in the surgical arts, for improved alignment guides that can aid a surgeon in a total hip replacement arthroplasty procedure, improving the precision of the procedure and enhancing surgical outcome.